Hidden Star
by jksimpact
Summary: Periwinkle Taiven was the girl who always faded into the background. You know the one, right? After making some bold changes, she finally steps into the spotlight at Hogwarts, making new friends, enemies and lovers along the way.
1. Dude, It's Me!

**Chapter 1 - Dude, It's Me!**

**So this is the first chapter where I'm basically introducing everything so it's kinda lengthy and descriptive but I promise it ****will**** get better once the action starts =] Also, this is entirely AU and I own nothing except for Poppy, Emerson, Perry and her parents and the plot =]**

After stepping out of the shower, Periwinkle Taiven looked in the mirror and contemplated the changes she had undergone over the summer. She had finally lost her puppy fat, so that the features of her face stood out more and her braces had finally been removed so she now had a completely metal free smile. Periwinkle had also gotten rid of her mousy brown hair and dyed it jet black with random pale blue streaks to match her name.

It was the changes on the inside that mattered the most though. Periwinkle was fed up with being the girl in the background and was ready to become the girl at the centre of the crowd and it was going to start with her name. She hated her name, to her it screamed weirdo and although the colour was nice, she wanted to become more than that. No, Periwinkle Taiven was becoming Perry Taiven, which to her sounded much more trendy and cool and a lot less old fashioned and odd. She had already thrown out Periwinkle's old wardrobe and bought a new one for Perry, full of bright colours and bold patterns. True, she would be wearing her Hogwarts uniform most of the time but there were still the weekends and Hogsmeade trips.

Choosing a bright pink tee and denim mini from her new wardrobe, Perry got changed (leaving her hair to dry naturally) and finished checking her trunk. It was finally September and time to go back to Hogwarts! She had missed her friends so much and she hadn't seen them all summer so they had yet to see her transformation. Perry was looking forward to the reveal.

Her best friends were Emerson Rose, a tall brunette boy with prominent brown eyes and a knack for knowing just when you needed cheering up and Poppy Alexander, a striking red head with icy blue eyes and a killer body. Poppy was probably another reason that Perry had never been noticed. She was not very tall but she had long legs and curvy hips - Poppy stood out in a way that Perry only dreamed of doing, until now that is.

"Come along now Periwinkle, your father and I have to leave now!"

Carmorel Taiven was a beautiful and elegant witch, her long brown hair reached her waist and her eyes were green with flecks of blue. There seemed to be a sense of reservedness and passion in them at the same time. She was a tall woman and a most accomplished witch. She always wore blue robes to highlight her eyes and she kept her house in meticulous order without the aid of any house elves. But above all, Carmorel Taiven was not a witch to be messed with.

Perry checked her bedside clock and saw that it was only 9am. Sighing Perry grabbed her wand from the side, annoyed that she still had to wait 8 days until she could use magic outside of Hogwarts. Dragging her trunk down the stairs, Perry could see her mother tapping her foot impatiently. The trunk landed with a thud next to her and Carmorel glared at her daughter.

"You can do magic Mother, you could have helped bring it down for me."  
"Yes I could have, but what would that have taught you Periwinkle?"  
"I told you Mother, it's Perry now."  
"Yes you did mention a name change but to me, my dear, you shall always be Periwinkle. Now, do you have everything?"  
"Yes Mother."  
"Excellent! Dorian, my darling, Periwinkle is ready. Shall we head off?"

Perry's father came out of the lounge area and into the hallway. Dorian Taiven was a magnificent wizard, his very being seemed to radiate power. He was dressed sharply in tailored bottle green robes and every hair on his head was in perfect place. As he left the lounge, Perry saw him slip something into his robes, a frown creasing his handsome face. As soon as Dorian caught sight of his only daughter however, he broke into a smile.

"Ah Perry, you're ready. Shall we leave? Did you need help with your trunk?"

Perry smiled. Her mother might be hard sometimes but she could always count on her dad to understand her. He had even called her Perry. To Dorian, Perry was his princess, the apple of his eye and she could do no wrong. And to Perry, Dorian was more than her father. He was her confidante and he knew all about her 'hidden' status at Hogwarts. He was especially pleased when she had told him that she wasn't going to spend her final years at Hogwarts hiding. Perry smiled at her father.

"Sure Dad that would be great. Only 8 more days and then I can do it myself huh? Ready Mother?"

Carmorel pursed her lips but didn't say anything. Instead, she turned on her heel and led the way to the Apparition spot at the foot of the drive. Smiling at each other, Perry and Dorian left Taiven Manor and apparated side by side to Kings Cross Station.

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Grabbing a trolley to place her trunk on, Perry caught sight of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley disappearing through the barrier. Smiling at the sight of Harry whilst securing her trunk to the trolley and yelling at her parents, Perry broke into a run and burst through the barrier herself. She saw that the platform was pretty much empty apart from Harry, Ron and a few seventh years.

Ten seconds later, Carmorel and Dorian came through the barrier, looking just as regal and elegant as ever. They joined Perry and kissed both of her cheeks quickly. Her mother wrapped her in a quick embrace, then turned on her heel and exited the platform. Perry was confused.

"What's her deal? Is she not even going to say goodbye?"  
"Don't worry about your mother darling, it's me she's mad at."  
"What did you do?"  
"She thinks that I pander to you too much and that I undermine her authority."  
"She's right isn't she?"

Dorian looked at his daughter standing there with a sassy smile on her face. To her surprise, Dorian smiled too.

"Yes I guess she is right. But what does she want me to do? Deny my one and only gorgeous girl?"  
"Dad! So embarrassing!"  
"There's no-one here don't stress. I have to go now as well Princess, business. That's why we're here so early. But knowing you, you have a good book stashed in the trunk for the journey. Am I right?"  
"Of course you are Dad. I'm sure I can keep myself occupied until Poppy and Emerson get here."  
"That's my girl. Love you Princess."  
"Love you too Dad."

Dorian hugged his daughter tightly and kissed the top of her head lightly. He clasped her hand tightly in a sign of solidarity, then swept away through the barrier to the other side of the platform. Perry watched him go and felt a little sad. She had spent a lot of time with her father over the summer since Poppy had been in Australia and Emerson had gone to Belgium. Still, they would be united as a threesome soon enough so Perry dragged her trunk onto the Express, choosing an empty compartment near the back. Settling down, she picked up George Orwell's 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' and began reading.

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Perry had been reading for nearly an hour and people were starting to arrive at the station. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Draco Malfoy bursting through the barrier, closely followed his parents, Narcissa and Lucius. Perry smiled slightly then frowned, remembering her last encounter with Malfoy. He had completely ignored her, even though she had spoken to him directly and even though she had made a special effort to look nice. But to be fair, all of Perry's encounters with Draco had gone like that. You don't have parents like Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy without getting at least a little of their pride and snobbery. Perry couldn't understand why her parents forced her to go to the 'Old Slytherin' parties the Malfoys held. Perry was a Ravenclaw and proud of it.

Caught in her reminisces, Perry almost missed the awkward moment between Draco and Narcissa. As she bent to kiss him, Malfoy jerked his head out of her reach and stomped away, with the look on his face of a petulant child. As Malfoy made his way to the train, Perry saw that he had caught her looking. Trying hard to look like she hadn't been staring at him, she quickly buried her head back into her book.

Oops. Too late.

Malfoy came bursting through her compartment door. He looked caught between curiosity at who she was and annoyance that she had been staring at him. Perry kept her face hidden for as long as she could before she could no longer ignore his presence.

"Can I help you?"  
"Well I don't know. If you can tell me who you are and why you were just watching me, that would be a start."  
"I wasn't watching you!"

But Perry's face had betrayed her. She never could lie and now her cheeks were turning red, betraying her innocence. Draco had clearly noticed and Perry could tell that he wasn't going to leave her alone soon. The famous smirk had appeared.

"Oh really? So you don't know what just happened there then?"  
"Of course I don't. that's your business isn't it?"  
"Fine. Who are you then?"

Perry couldn't believe that Malfoy actually didn't know who she was. She had been going to his house every summer and Christmas since she was born. The first time she had missed a party was this summer when she had changed so dramatically in looks. Perry wanted to play with him. Her new found confidence was about to drive Malfoy crazy.

"I can be anyone you want me to be."

That had taken Malfoy by surprise, Perry could tell because the smirk had been replaced by a raised eyebrow - a sure sign that he was ready to play. He came into the compartment and sat next to Perry. Leaning into her, he whispered;

"Hmm… I'd like you to be…"

But Malfoy was rudely interrupted by the arrival of two people who were very welcome to Perry. Poppy's bouncy red hair burst through the door, followed by Emerson's tall form.

"Euw Malfoy, leave the girl alone. She doesn't need Slytherin germs before the school year has even started."  
"Very funny Alexander. Get lost, me and the pretty girl are getting to know each other."  
"Yes. He was just telling me about his absolute dead fear of needles. No need to be frightened Malfoy, no-one will know. Promise."

It was that comment that made him remember. Malfoy's eyes widened and he backed out of the compartment without a second glance or word. Poppy turned to Perry and addressed her first.

"So hey there new girl. Nice scare tactic on the 'Slytherin Prince'. So is it true?"

Perry stared at both of them. Emerson and Poppy really didn't recognise her did they? She knew that she had changed radically but not so much that her two best friends didn't even recognise her!

"I'm not talking to you."  
"What? What did I say? Have I offended you somehow?"  
"Yes of course you have. Dude, it's me!"

With that sentence, Emerson and Poppy ran forward and hugged their 'new' best friend. The next hours on the journey to Hogwarts were filled with stories of the summer, interrupted only by the witch with the sweet trolley.

**So that was the first chapter guys. Please remember to R&R, let me know what you think about the characters. I have an idea where I'd like the story to go but if you have anything you'd like to see, don't hesitate to let me know =]**


	2. Which One?

**Chapter 2 - Which One?**

Although to Perry the train journey felt like it had lasted only a short while, in reality several hours had passed by and all too quickly (to Perry anyway) Hogsmeade Station was in view. Grabbing their trunks, the three of them headed towards the carriages, drawn as always by the invisible horses. Perry noticed that she was getting a lot of stares and she could just catch the conversation behind her floating forwards.

"Who's the new girl?"  
"I saw her on the train talking to Poppy Alexander and Emerson Rose so she must have credentials."  
"She looks beautiful."  
"I wonder what happened to that girl they normally hang out with? What was her name again?"

Perry didn't know whether to smile or cry. Was she really so forgettable that no-one even knew her name? Still, they had called her beautiful and this was her year and nothing was going to change that. Arranging her face into a smile, Perry caught up with Emerson and Poppy and walked up to the carriage. As she climbed up the steps, Perry caught Harry Potter's eye and the pair shared an awkward moment before smiling at each other then ducking inside. Not too far away, in the carriage behind, Draco Malfoy saw the smile and a sour look crossed his face. _'__No way is Potter going to beat me to this one.__'_

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Walking into the Great Hall, Perry could still feel eyes from all over staring at her. Taking her seat at the Ravenclaw table, she waved at Emerson who was joining his fellow Gryffindors at their table. Again the stares and whispers followed her but Perry was determined to enjoy the Sorting Ceremony and not let it get to her, despite the fact it was only nice things being said. Lisa Turpin was the first girl brave enough to approach them. Interrupting Perry and Poppy's conversation, she took and breath and said,

"Hi girls! How was your summer? Mine majorly sucked, the parents wouldn't let me go France with Parvati and Padma. Bad times."

She laughed nervously and her eyes kept darting to Perry, clearly trying to decipher who this apparently mysterious girl was. Poppy spoke.

"My summer was absolutely fantastic! Australia is the most beautiful place in the world, I'm pretty sure of it. What about you Perry?"

In completely exaggerated movement, she flung her hair over her shoulder and stared at Perry who just burst out laughing.

"OK Poppy stop being mean to the poor girl! Hi Lisa, it's Periwinkle Taiven. My summer pretty much sucked too. I was stuck with my Mother all summer. Still, I got to spend a lot of time with my Dad which wasn't so bad."

Lisa was obviously shocked at what she had just been told and scurried to tell everyone. Perry quickly shouted out to Lisa's retreating back.

"My name's Perry now not Periwinkle by the way!"

The news spread like wildfire whilst the new students were Sorted into houses. Some new Ravenclaws sat a few seats away from Perry and Poppy. Soon everyone, even the first years, knew that this beautiful new girl was Periwinkle Taiven, transformed from the mousy, forgettable girl into the bombshell at the Ravenclaw table now known as Perry. The chatter in the Hall died down when Dumbledore stood.

"I have many important things to say but I hear many stomachs growling so lets just eat!"  
"Hear, hear!"

Perry grabbed the nearest tray of pork chops and piled her plate.

"God I've missed Hogwarts food so much!"

A smile lit up Perry's face as she tucked in. She spent the time over dinner talking to Poppy about various things she had done over the summer with her dad. Halfway through a sentence, Poppy interrupted and said,

"You know there are several boys in the sixth year that just can't take their eyes off you right?"

Perry looked up from her plate and glanced around the Hall.

"Which one?"

Perry replied, a soft smile playing on her lips. Poppy laughed.

"Yea that's true. Damn girl, you got game! And, if I'm not much mistaken, that's Draco Malfoy glaring at Harry Potter because Potter cannot stop staring at you."

Perry tried to pretend that Harry's name hadn't sparked a sudden interest. Poppy knew her too well though for the movement to go undetected but she contented herself with a smug smile. Perry however, was not content to let the subject drop. Trying her hardest to sound nonchalant, Perry spoke.

"So you think Harry Potter is staring at me?"  
"Of course he is. So is Draco Malfoy, Terry Boot, Seamus Finnegan, Dean Thomas, Morag MacDougal, Blaise Zabini and oh. Euw. Crabbe and Goyle as well. Take your pick Perry."

Another smug smile crossed Poppy's face and Perry couldn't help but smile back. She wasn't used to this attention, it was Poppy's to have. Not anymore apparently.

The Feast ended and Dumbledore stood. Suddenly the Hall was quiet in anticipation of his speech.

"Welcome to everyone. For the first time to our new first years, I hope you find happiness and solace in your new houses. To our old students, welcome back. Let us hope that this is another year of heartfelt fun and learning."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he surveyed the room. Professor McGonagall was less than impressed at the sound of the word 'fun' but she continued to smile all the same. Dumbledore persisted with his speech.

"This will also, hopefully, be a year when we finally see full house unity and integration."

There was an upsurge in voices and several whispers of 'not if that means hanging out with Slytherins', 'he must be joking' and 'I can't see that happening'. Dumbledore waited politely then carried on.

"I'm not asking for a miracle. I'm asking that we all become more compassionate and caring towards our fellow students. In any time, it is of the utmost importance that we have many friends to rely on from all walks of life. I expect everybody to be making a conscious effort to not only make our new first year students welcome, but also our old students. Everyone is dismissed back to their dormitories. Enjoy a fitful night, ready for learning when lessons start tomorrow."

Dumbledore's eyes sparkled one more time and everybody rose, following the prefects. Poppy and Perry left the Hall and continued their previous talk about the sixth year boys of Hogwarts. Poppy, having experience with said boys, told Perry everything she could expect in the coming weeks and the two girls giggled their way back to Ravenclaw Tower.

Meanwhile, at the Slytherin table, Draco Malfoy was discussing with Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle the 'plan' he was to set in motion the following day.

"I won't let Potter beat me to this one. She's gorgeous therefore she belongs with me. That's the way it will happen."

Suddenly, Emerson was away from Harry's side and at Draco's. He had a menacing glare on his face and with his height, he was easily intimidating. Draco, however, did not back down.

"You think you scare me Rose? There's nothing you can do to stop me. I'm not afraid of you."  
"Well that's something I clearly need to fix then isn't it Malfoy. You see, Perry is one of my oldest and best friends so there's no way I'm going to let anything, including a ferret like you, do anything to hurt her. So you back off and don't do anything if you know what's good for you."

Draco refused to be daunted by Emerson but there was not mistaking the look in Emerson's eyes. Draco was going to have to think carefully about this one…


	3. First Days Suck

**Chapter 3 - First Days Suck. **

Waking up in the morning, Perry saw the sunlight streaming through the window and reflecting off the pale blue curtain that surrounded her bed and smiled widely. Swinging her feet over the edge of her bed, she rose with grace and headed towards the bathroom. The sun was still shining through the windows of the Ravenclaw Tower and Perry knew that today was going to be a good day.

After her shower, she dressed carefully. Today was the beginning of her final two years at Hogwarts and Perry was determined that people would remember her as quickly as they had forgotten Periwinkle. Blinking quickly to hold back the tears threatening to spill from her emerald eyes, Perry continued to dress and thought about the day to come.

Returning to the bedroom, Perry saw that Poppy, Lisa and Padma were just waking up. She decided that she would leave them to get ready, knowing that her perkiness in the morning was a constant source of annoyance to her roommates. Slipping through the door, Perry headed towards the Great Hall for a filling and satisfying breakfast.

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Stepping into the Hall, Perry noticed that there were not many students here this early. Settling down into her usual space, she loaded up on bacon, eggs and toast. Looking around at the familiar setting, Perry smiled and finally felt at home. Five years in the castle and she still felt like she had so much to discover. Staring up at the amazing ceiling, which this morning was reflecting a clear blue sky that was happily threatening to shine all day, Perry didn't see who had just entered the Hall. It wasn't until she tore her eyes away from the ceiling and looked at the tables around her that Perry saw Harry Potter about to sit down at the Gryffindor table. It was unusual enough for Harry to be without Ron and Hermione, let alone this early in the morning. Perry noticed that Harry took a seat exactly opposite her, smiling at her as he did so. She smiled right back and it took a couple of seconds before either of them could look away.

Enter trouble in the form of a platinum haired Slytherin.

Draco eyed the scene between Perry and Harry with apprehension. He liked Perry (the way she teased him on the train was genius and she had certainly captured his attention) and he didn't want Potter to 'muscle in on his girl' as it were. He took a seat behind Harry on the Slytherin table so that he too was in Perry's eye line.

Draco Malfoy did not go down without a fight.

Perry saw him sit down and he flashed a dazzling smile in her direction. Taken aback, she smiled nervously back at him after checking that he wasn't smiling at someone behind her. She went back to eating her breakfast but now she was coyly flirting, twisting her shiny hair around her finger and flashing a small smile in the direction of the two boys who both believed the smiles to be for them.

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30 minutes later and Perry was surrounded by people who were up and excited for the start of the new year. Currently, she was in conversation with Padma, Poppy and Lisa discussing which was the best type of cleaning spell to remove make-up stains from robes when Professor Flitwick began making the rounds to deliver the new timetables to the Ravenclaws. He finally reached Perry and her friends and instantly she felt like screaming.

"Argh we have double Potions with the Slytherins first thing today. Malfoy _and_ Snape for two hours on a Monday morning. Who did we piss off in Hell to deserve that!?"

"Hey cheer up Pez, we have Transfiguration with the Gryffindors after. Two hours with Emerson, Hermione, Ron and Harry."

The mention of Harry's name made Perry snap her head up so quick that there was a little 'crack' which Poppy, of course, heard.

"Pez what was that!?"

"Nothing, I didn't hear anything. Did you guys hear anything? It wasn't me. Wow these eggs are good."

All three were staring at Perry with curious looks on their faces. Perry was a terrible liar and just because she looked different, didn't mean she acted different. Poppy wasn't about to embarrass her best friend though so she quickly changed the subject but exchanged a look with Perry that said "you-are-so-not-off-the-hook-with-me-and-you-will-tell-me-everything-later." Perry cringed but was grateful to her for letting it slide for now.

Suddenly, breakfast was over and everyone began heading to their various lessons. Perry sighed but stood up to join her fellow sixth year Ravenclaws going to the Dungeon. Waiting to enter the classroom, Perry saw Malfoy at the head of the line deep in conversation with Blaise Zabini. Blaise seemed to be hanging on his every word. He caught sight of Perry watching him though and gave her one of his famous smirks. She smiled back (somewhat nervously it had to be said) and started talking to Poppy to avoid looking at him. As much as she hated to say, even to herself, Draco Malfoy was good-looking and she had to admit that she had a soft spot for him. Maybe it was something to do with the fact that Malfoy had constantly ignored her when they were growing up but Perry was always trying to impress him. She sneaked another look at him but was pleased to see he was back in conversation.

Abruptly, a soft "enter" floated out to the hallway and everyone quickly filed in. Perry took her usual spot next to Poppy and settled down to learn some sixth year wonders. Snape changed that quickly.

"Do not settle yet. I am about to assign you all partners that you are to work with for the rest of the year. Your partner will be of the same ability as you so that you are able to help each other out. Today's potion is regularly tested at NEWT level; the Draught of Living Death. Now here is the partner scheme: Hermione Granger and Blaise Zabini. Poppy Alexander and Harry Potter. Lisa Turpin and Ernie MacMillan. Periwinkle Taiven and Draco Malfoy…"

THUMP.

Perry was shocked. Not that she was unhappy but she would have preferred to partner Harry. She looked over at Malfoy while Snape continued to assign pairs. He was smiling at her - smiling not smirking - and Perry's tummy did a little flip. She smiled back as Snape finished talking and took her seat next to Draco. She spoke first wanting to let him know that he didn't intimidate her.

"Hey Draco. Good thing about us working together huh? Means we're on the same level. Right?"

She flashed a smirk at him and he could feel himself growing even more attracted to her. Perry meanwhile could not believe where this flirty side had come from. Perhaps it was always hiding away but she was shocking herself. Still, she tossed her hair over her shoulder whilst pulling out her Potions book, trying to be sexy but failing miserably when it fell with a loud _thunk _to the floor. Bending down to pick it up, Perry felt someone else's hand brushing hers. Lifting her eyes from the ground, she found herself face to face with Draco. He smiled at her and she felt the breath catch in her throat. Her hand felt electric where Draco was touching it. He was staring deep into her eyes and she couldn't look away. Finally she managed to stutter out a 'thanks'.

"No problem Taiven. I have this effect on girls. It's only natural that you would react the same."

Draco's smirk was back and most definitely in play. Perry could feel her cheeks burning crimson but she defiantly stuck her chin out anyway and took the book from him. Flipping to the correct page, Perry could feel that Draco's eyes were constantly on her. Trying hard to ignore him, she began to light a fire under their shared cauldron and lined up the ingredients they were to use.

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20 minutes into the lesson and Draco appeared to Perry to be doing absolutely nothing, just watching her with an intense look on his face. Annoyed but by no means defeated, she plastered a smile on her face and asked,

"Draco. Could you please hand me those valerian roots? And you would be an _absolute darling _if you could get the juice out of that Sopophorous Bean for me."

Perry widened her smile until she herself could tell that it was fake as anything. Draco, however, seemed to be fooled. He passed Perry the valerian roots, slowly reached for the bean and (almost as if he did it deliberately) brushed her hand again. Perry felt the same electric shock she had felt earlier and she was just as unprepared for the jolt in her stomach as she was earlier too. Draco appeared unfazed and began to juice the Sopophorous Bean.

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Another 30 minutes passed and Perry and Draco had only exchanged a few pleasantries. Draco continued to brush her hand every so often as he leaned across her to reach for an ingredient or to check the page of the textbook. Their potion looked exactly as it should and as the lesson came to an end, even Snape could find no wrong with it, giving it a long sniff before passing along to Lisa and Ernie. Then it was finally (it seemed so to Perry anyway after the continuous jolts in the stomach that she got after Draco touched her) the end of Potions and before Perry could catch her breath and clear away, Draco had "accidentally" touched her again so she addressed him directly.

"Is there a reason you keep touching me Draco?"

Her tone wasn't accusatory but it was questioning. Draco looked away from their potion and took a long, deliberate look at Perry. Her lashes were thick and dark, the perfect frame for her pale blue eyes. She had a small collection of freckles covering her nose and her cheeks. Her lips were full and a natural rosy colour. Draco was suddenly taken aback by how beautiful Perry actually was. He would never have guessed that this girl in front of him, with an inquisitive look on her face was the same mousy girl who used to annoy him during the holidays. He took another second to consider his answer. When he did, Perry was surprised by what he said.

"Taiven, I'm sorry that you think I keep touching you deliberately. You know, I heard that when you're attracted to someone, you keep imagining interactions between yourself and that person. Are you sure that's not happening to you?"

Immediately, one thought popped up in her head. 'That arrogant little git!' Then after that thought, came another, 'I'm totally gonna mess with him'. Smiling in what she thought was a seductive manner, Perry looked up at Draco through her lashes and placed her hand delicately on top of his.

"You know what Draco? You could be right. I think I've heard something about that too. Maybe I should just back off a little, because I'm probably just imagining things and I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable."

She withdrew her hand from his and Draco looked visibly taken aback. She watched him with amusement as he struggled to regain his composure and find the right words. Eventually, he had righted himself and spoke.

"Well maybe you're not completely imagining things Taiven. I mean it's quite obvious to anyone that you like me and I guess that I could convince myself to accompany you to the first Hogsmeade weekend. And anyway, you're beautiful and I'm clearly the most attractive male in this place so we belong together. What do you say?"

By this point, everyone in the class had suddenly noticed that Draco and Perry were very close to each other and not clearing away. All eyes were on them and Perry suddenly became very aware of that fact.

"Well Malfoy, all I've got to say to that is…"

And Perry brought her face as close as she could handle to Malfoy's, their noses millimetres away from touching.

"No."

"No? What do you mean no? No one says no to Draco Malfoy!"

"Sorry Draco but I believe I just did. See you around. _Evanesco."_

Vanishing the potion and used ingredients away, Perry walked out of the classroom at the exact same moment that the bell rang to signal the official end of the lesson. Poppy quickly caught up to her to catch the gossip from the scene that had just unfolded. Both girls however, were unaware that Draco had followed Poppy out and was currently pursuing them as they made their way to Transfiguration.

"Perry dude, what was all that with Malfoy? He looked seriously PO'ed with you!"

"Well he had no reason to be pissed off with me! What did I actually do?"

"You did kinda shoot him down in front of everyone Pez."

"That wasn't me shooting him down, that was just me teasing him."

Poppy gave her friend an accusatory look.

"OK, OK fine. I shot him down. I mean, Malfoy is cute and all and I enjoy the odd flirtation but seriously? Can you imagine Draco Malfoy in a relationship? The way he asked me anyway was ridiculous. It was hardly the most romantic proposal! Besides, you probably know I have a crush on Harry."

"I knew it! The way you nearly broke your neck this morning when I just happened to mention his name!"

"Yea well can you blame me? I mean, what's not to like? He's funny, clever, good-looking, brave. What more could a girl want?"

As both girls giggled, Draco decided that he had heard enough. Knowing full well that he was concealed in the shadows, he cast a jinx on Perry.

"**AMBUSCADIA!**"

Perry felt the full effect exactly as the spell left his lips. Her bag flew in the air, her books went everywhere and the single bottle of ink came crashing down, covering Perry head to toe in blue ink. A loud cheer went up everywhere around her and she shrunk into herself, turning crimson under the blue and very aware that she was being watched and laughed at.

Eventually the crowd dispersed and Poppy and Perry were able to continue making their way to Transfiguration. Pausing to collect her fallen books first, Perry suddenly let out a scream.

"Argh this sucks! McGonagall isn't going to let me go and get cleaned up is she? We're already running late so I'm going to have to spend the entire lesson like this. Argh who would do this!?"

In the shadows, Draco Malfoy concealed a laugh.

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Waiting for Transfiguration to start, Perry found herself surrounded by Hermione, Emerson, Harry, Ron and Poppy. Everyone gathered around her and gave lots of encouraging comments whilst Emerson said nothing and just enveloped her in a bear hug, clearly not worried about wet ink stains.

Sitting in Transfiguration 5 minutes later, Perry had somehow managed to snag a seat next to Harry with Poppy on the other side of her and Emerson in front. Despite the fact that she was covered in ink, Harry was being his usual gentlemanly self and ignoring that fact. McGonagall however, brought everyone's attention to it immediately.

"Miss Taiven, I assume there is a reason you are covered in ink this afternoon? Unfortunately for you this class lasts an hour so you must wait until then to clean yourself up. Right, so. I don't need to tell you that this year is the beginning of your career and lives outside of Hogwarts and will best be spent with you concentrating all your efforts in this class. This year, we will focussing on human and animal Transfiguration. Now turn to page 15 in your textbooks and copy these notes and we will begin a practical session next time."

After this speech, the class lapsed into a concentrated silence and Perry didn't have to endure further stares by her classmates. Harry on the other hand kept sneaking glances at her and she wasn't sure if that was such a good thing in her current state! However, she couldn't deny that Harry looking at her was definitely making her stomach do somersaults. Despite this, Perry couldn't help experiencing the overwhelming feeling of looking like a complete idiot.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Eventually, the class ended and Perry rushed out, closely followed by Poppy. As they walked towards Ravenclaw Tower, Perry saw Draco Malfoy without Crabbe and Goyle in tow. This was a strange occurrence and as she caught his eye, Draco gave her what appeared to be a cross between a glare and a smirk. Perry scowled back.

Both girls said nothing as they arrived back in Ravenclaw Tower. Perry went straight to her dorm room and picked up a towel. Turning to her best friend, Perry said,

"Poppy?"

"Yea Perry?"

"First days suck."


	4. Birthday Treats

**Chapter 4 - Birthday Treats. **

Despite that little 'inky incident' as she liked to call it, Perry's first week back at Hogwarts was a good one. She had spoken to Harry 3 times in Transfiguration, Draco Malfoy had kept his interactions minimal and Peggy Silver, the most popular girl at Hogwarts, had complimented her on her shoes.

When Sunday finally rolled around, Perry was feeling excited about coming of age. She awoke that morning to a small pile of presents and a handsome Tawny owl at the end of her bed. Intrigued as to why the owl had waited rather than leave, she scrambled over and spotted a note attached to his leg.

"_Periwinkle, _

_It seems that now you are 17 and of age, you are responsible enough to take care of your own animal. I know you have been attempting to convince us for years that you are mature enough and now we believe it. Happy birthday dear and don't let us down. _

_Mother and Father."_

'Thanks for the loving and personable letter parents,' Perry thought sarcastically to herself although she could not hide her excitement any more and promptly began stroking the beautiful owl and thinking of names. As she stroked him, she noticed another note attached to his other leg. Unrolling it, she read,

"_Perry,_

_How quickly time flies my darling! It seems like yesterday I was holding you in my arms and now you are a woman. I do hope you enjoy your new company and I fully expect you to be magicking anything and everything when you come home for Christmas. Looking forward to seeing you and I hope you have a wonderful day today. Happy birthday sweetheart. _

_Lots of love, _

_Dad._

_PS - I've always liked the name Apollo, haven't you?"_

Looking at her new companion, Perry decided that she liked the name Apollo very much indeed.

"What do you think Apollo?"

The owl hooted softly in reply and closed his eyes as Perry stroked him some more. The hooting awoke Padma, Lisa and Poppy and Perry began apologising straight away.

"I'm so sorry you guys! I know you hate it when I'm awake early, especially on a Sunday!"

"No worries Pez. As it's your birthday I'm sure we can let you off this once. Now don't you have some presents to open?"

Poppy said with a grin.

"Oh so many birthday treats, where to start?"

"Here, have mine then."

Poppy tossed over a brightly wrapped parcel which Perry quickly ripped open. It was a stunning silver necklace with a large periwinkle coloured stone set in the middle. Perry swiftly placed the necklace on and beamed her thanks at her best friend.

The rest of the presents were just as satisfying. Emerson had given her a bracelet matching Poppy's chain, her aunt and uncle had sent a watch inscribed with the words _'17 Forever',_ (an inside joke), Lisa, Padma, Parvati and Lavender had banded together and bought her a large collection of make up, Hermione and Ron had bought her the latest scarf of her Quidditch team (the Appleby Arrows) and there was a bottle of the sweetest and best smelling perfume Perry had ever smelled with no name attached. She had never smelled anything quite like it so she quickly doused herself in it and noticed that the bottle refilled itself.

With a party planned for later in the evening, Perry decided to spend the rest of the day planning a show stopping outfit with Poppy's help of course. In the end she settled for a gold one-shouldered dress and some strappy silver heels. Using her new make up collection Poppy set to work on Perry, making her look even more stunning, if that were even possible. Finally Perry charmed her hair into loose curls, framing her delicate features which coincided with an increase in the buzz of chatter downstairs as people began to arrive. Leaving the dormitories with Poppy by her side, Perry made her grand entrance.

With the whole of the Gryffindor and half the Hufflepuff sixth years squeezed into Ravenclaw Tower, things were a little crowded. But everyone seemed merry and Harry and Ron had brought a large supply of butterbeer and Firewhisky (not to be drunk in front of Hermione) to keep everyone entertained. A radio was playing music loudly from the corner, alternating between muggle songs and the latest Weird Sisters offering. It was currently belting out the Black Eyed Peas' 'Boom Boom Pow' and everyone was dancing along, Perry on the table as the 5,6 or 7 shots of Firewhisky she'd had went to her head.

Suddenly the music changed, 'Magic Works' by the Weird Sisters began playing and Perry fell from the table and straight into Harry's arms. Giggling incoherently, it took a few minutes before Perry could focus and realise that it was Harry holding her.

"Oh, Harry!"

He grinned at her and she felt her knees go weak as she slipped down a little. He tightened his grip on her and she noticed that they were slow dancing. She felt as if all her dreams were coming true at once and she did not want to let go one little bit. All too soon though, the song ended but it appeared Harry didn't want to let go either.

"Here we go then birthday girl. You didn't think I wasn't going to get you a present now did you?"

In all honesty, Perry had completely forgotten everything she had ever known or been taught the moment she realised Harry was holding her. Composing herself though, she replied,

"Of course I didn't, I'm expecting great things Mr Potter."

Even though there was a slight slur to her voice, Harry ignored it and flashed her a wide grin which she readily returned. He disappeared for a second then reappeared quickly at her side with a present wrapped in periwinkle blue paper which Perry probably would have appreciated if she were sober. Ripping the paper apart, she saw a pristine copy of Jane Austen's 'Emma', her favourite book. Perry didn't know what to say. She was actually close to tears, so much consideration she thought Harry had put into choosing it.

Harry unfortunately mistook her silence for dislike and began to walk away. Before Perry realised what was happening, Harry was halfway across the room.

"Harry, wait!"

The whole room stopped and stared as Perry ran after Harry and threw herself at him, kissing him as if her life depended on it. He started to kiss her back when she wrenched herself out of his grip and promptly threw up all over his shoes.

Oops.

**This is just a little filler chapter to get me back into the swing of writing. Let me know what you think and I shall endeavour to write more =]**


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